The city Council of new York voted to establish a pilot program East New York to build affordable housing in Brooklyn. The program will allow the owners of the houses to turn a basement into a legal, affordable residential apartments.
East New York pilot program will create livable basement apartments https://t.co/NszZ8rF8ej pic.twitter.com/WPnOGQbSh5
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Many of these basements in fact already illegally used as apartments. However, in the absence of the rule of law, not protected the rights of tenants and receiving taxes of the city. The bill was introduced by Councilman brad lander, it is actively supported by mayor bill de Blasio. It is assumed, in the case of success of the program, expand it to other areas of new York.
«The conversion of basements is an important way to overcome the crisis of housing affordability in new York city,» said lander at the city Council meeting. «It also allows us to extract useful lessons that I hope in the future will reasonably expand the program to neighborhoods.»
The interdepartmental group that includes the Department of buildings, Department of conservation and development housing and urban planning Department, will determine what kind of basements can be converted. Will partially modify certain building and fire regulations. The program will also provide $ 12 million in loans and grants with low interest rates, which will be monitored by the Department of housing (HPD), for homeowners with low and middle income to help them comply with the new regulations.
It is known that basements can be dangerous to live in, are lack of light and fresh air, the excess moisture can be a beneficial environment for diseases and their vectors. However, the authors of the project believe that at observance of all norms and legality, the health of the occupants of basement apartments did not threaten.
